The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-06-24
THE LUNG STRAD.

MargaretS little nnger at the early
age of seven.
Margaret was passionately fond OF
music, but she could not sing, and her
encounter with the door prevented
her from being a first-rate performer
on the piano She would not content
herself with anything short of pertec-
tion; and so for years long and many
the music within her found no utter
anCe. At last, after a few gray hairs
began to show themselves among her
thick brown braids, Prof. Mohr ad-
yised her to learn the violin.
We were spending some happy years
together ia Germany, Margaret play
ing the role OF guardian grimalkin to
my kittenish innocence. We were not
related, but as inseparable as the
ladies OF Langol)en. l took drawing
lessons, and We were both deep in Ian
guageS. In our free hours we we're care
less and happy as lambs in clover,u ,un-
til Prof. Mohr's unlucky suggestion
started Us on the road to despair.
We wese staying in Munich when
this misfortune overlook us. Margar-
ct was fired with enthusiasm at the
thought OF possibly being good mu-
sician at last. She was past 30, and
fer a while tortured herself with fears
that this was 90 old to begin to learn
anything so difficult as the violin.
But they raked up for her benefit
many instances OF musical prodigies
turned out late in life, to the aston
ishment OF the world and themselves.
Perseverance, aptitude and health
would do wonders.
Convinced at last of the wisdom OF
her undertaking, and radiant with
hope, Margaret engaged a master st
more marks an hour than would have
paid for half week of operas in the
Gallerie Noble. She next commits.
stoned some old virtuoso and dealers
IN n.uslcal instruments to ferret out
for her good violin from beneath the
dust and rubbish of ages. No easy
matter this, for Margaret had read
deeply on the subject, and would be
content with nothing os Il later date
than the seventeenth century; and the
granting OF the cunninglY mosaiced
sycamore must undulate under it's
golden varnfsh like the setting sum-
mer sun on cloud and wave"
At the expiration OF q week Herr
Bratwurst wrote from the Tyrol, de-
scribing with tlowery extravaganza
the jewel OF an instrument he had un-
earthed at Brixen, among the goods
and chatJels of an Israelitish gentle
man in the old clothes business. When
found, this prize was a wreck, gone to
pieces under blllows of flimsy satin
gowns and theatrical coats of cotton
velvet; but carefully set together again
by the magic hand OF a BratWurst, it
was worthy of Tarisio himself. A
fragment at the back bore the precious
inscription, "tntonius Stradivarius,
Cremonensis Faciebat, Ammo 1854. +"
And a portion of the instrument at
least might be regarded as the work Of
this master. Il was in shapea ''Long
Strad." and was a marvellous COM
bination Of sycamore, Swiss pine and
lemon tree. The varnish was q de-
light to the eye and the tone-but hers
words failed for description. The gu
preme moment arrived when, Margar-
ct was to see this wonder. and decide
whether or not she might call it her
own. 1t seemed like opening long
buried coffin, they were so serious
about undoing its box. which looked
so worn and shabby.
Margaret was speeches with delight
when Professor Mohr played upon it,
went into technical raptures, and
eventually paid for it, smillingly, the
price OF two good pianos. Connois-
seurs, even those not interested, said
1t closely resembled an authentic
Stradivarius, and as such was q bar
gain; so Ekept my surprise locked in
my ignorant bosom.
Margaret bought for her Jewels a
beautiful polished and inIaid mahog-
any case. lined with blue velvet. !, IN
3 burst OF enthusiasm, embroidered
q fiddle blanket OF fine blue cloth, on
which executed in gold thread the
treble clef, and Margaret's initials, M.
A. c., in beautiful silks. "A spray ol
flowers WIS depicted beneath, and ]
thought the whole thinga masterpiece
OF originality and skill. 1t Was lined
with satin, quilted, wadded and per.
fumed; and the case, with its blank
cts, would have made nice bed for
one Of the rolypoly Bavarian princel.
ings we saw in the street with their
squadron Of nursernaidg.